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[title]Mike Rodrigues is Sydney's inaugural 24-hour economy commissioner, affectionately called the 'night mayor' of Sydney. Mike is also Time Out's former managing director and knows a thing or two about going out in the Emerald City. As we all cope with lockdown and dream of a day when it'll finally be over, we asked Mike for his predictions for Sydney's nightlife and how we can help support Sydney's cultural scene.
Do you have a question for the night mayor? Send it through with the subject line "Ask the night mayor" and we'll put it to the man himself. Or you can use this Google Form.
Please can you look into having museum ‘lates’? In London lots of the museums have a monthly ‘late’ event in the evening. Usually centred around a particular theme or exhibit with guest speakers and live events. They each do it differently and they’re amazing. Making Sydney a great place to ‘go out’ should include a variety of cultural experiences not just ones centred around alcohol. Time to beat Melbourne at the culture game!
I love this idea. A nocturnal mooch around the MCA? A wee hours amble around the aquarium? Brings a whole new meaning to “sleeping with the fishes”. In all seriousness, this is a part of our 24-Hour Economy Strategy and there’s a willingness from Sydney’s institutions to offer later showings. Many of them were already offering later events and showings after dark before the pandemic hit (for the second time). We need to make sure the resources are there to make it happen, but watch this space over summer and you may see some movement.
What’s your thinking of instead of having one large Sydney Vivid festival (in winter), we have many mini vivid festivals during the year in all the seasons?
There are a good few reasons why Vivid works in winter, not least the illumination of the city against the gloom of the season. But it’s an interesting proposal. Would it work in the full glare of summer? I’m not sure. But more broadly there is scope for activating our going-out districts with mini-festivals year-round. It’s something we are working on as fast as our freshly vaccinated arms are allowing us.
What about a Jazz festival along the whole stretch of the George Street boulevard?
Jazz on George? I like the sound of it. One thing we must do when we come out of COVID restrictions is encourage people back into the city, and festivals and other activations will be crucial to filling up the CBD and supporting local businesses in the area. I’d be happy to help anyone who wants to jazz up the streets. Drop me any ideas at 24hour@investment.nsw.gov.au.
Remember the year when we had Christmas archways along George Street? Why not make this a permanent fixture during the Xmas season? This definitely activated the spaces around the spine of George street, brought people to the CBD in masses and it reminded me of Europe. Throw in a Xmas festival party (with vivid style light projections along George street) and you’ve got a night time memorable experience for all!! Cheers
From memory that was during the Light Rail construction as a way to support local businesses, but I really liked it too. It almost made Christmas shopping bearable. It’s easy to forget how unappealing George Street could be when it was full of traffic, compared to the beautiful boulevard it is today. It’s definitely a space we should activate with alfresco, public events and entertainment. Great suggestion, I’ll see what I can do. If not this Christmas, then next.
Do you think NSW Police searching bars and clubs with sniffer dogs support a fun and vibrant nightlife?
The key is balance. We want nightlife to be vibrant, but it also needs to be safe. Since taking this role, I’ve had a really good response from NSW Police and continue to work constructively with them. I know some venues and punters get frustrated at some activities and I’m working with the industry and across government to find solutions that work for everyone. So that nights out aren’t ruined, but the police also get to do their important work.
Great nightlife has always had an element of subversion and counter-culture (think Berlin). How will you support subcultures and businesses that may not fit into the mainstream?
For me, it’s about Sydney’s diversity. Yes, we have the world’s most beautiful harbour, but we are so much more than that. Across the city are unique districts with their own identity, culture and soul. And those districts house sub-cultures that we need to support, celebrate and nourish. The concept of a “creative city” was termed by an Australian and there’s no reason why Sydney shouldn’t sit alongside the likes of Berlin, Barcelona and Portland as places that creatives thrive in, and flock to.